For those who love small streams, wild trout, and life...in their simplest form

Tuesday, July 3, 2018

CT. Samall Stream That Looks LIke Shenandoah. Fishing North Country Spiders

After fly fishing for a long time I finally came around to a new, at least to me, technique. That is using a dry fly with a dropper. The idea of using this came to me while fishing a small stream Sunday morning. Small streams at this time it's a given that you fish a dry fly. I did this and while I took a brookie or two I missed many more. Not a big issue and I let it go. Later that day I realized that the reason I missed those fish was the fact they might be a bit skeptical about giving up their position. On Monday morning I found myself fishing the same pools, only this time I tied on a 12inch piece of tippet material to the dry fly which was a bushy caddis. The dropper was a North Country spider, a Smoke Fly.

The third cast and a home run was hit. The brookie took the spider.

It appeared that the fish would rise tentatively to the dry and not really take it. But a second or two they slammed the smoke fly.

22 comments:

That's a great technique. I fish a #14 Bomber with a #20 Zebra Midge dropper, sometime with only 8" of tippet. I'm always surprised to see who takes what. I find that bigger fish seem to take the dropper more often....

On another note, I went and looked at your youtube videos the other day. I am really fascinated with your downstream technique. I would find a post about how you do this to be really interesting, approach to pools, where you cast, etc. Your tips have already greatly enhanced my enjoyment of small streams. I would love to learn more.

Fred NJThanksFred what was interesting was the fact that they swiped at the dry, and then just hammered the dropper. Now I don't know if it was the same fish that took a whack at the two flies, but there was a sure preference for the dropper.

I'm glad you found the youtube vids. I do most of my small stream fishing that method.

Alan, that fly reminds me of a fly by the name of Peg's fly. She would would fish this fly in a sz. 26. On Big spring creek in the town Newville, pa. Near my home. Only difference was she tied them to fish on top. Cream hackle tail ,peacock body and cream hackle. Story goes that she would school all the local men in the summer fishing that dry. Lol. The dry dropper is one of my go to techniques this time of year. Mine is a beetle with a sunken ant for a dropper. Thanks for the post , beautiful Brookies.

Hi AlanI have fished a dry fly and wet in various configurations for msny years now. Not sure what you call it over on your side of the pond, but over here it's usually known as New Zealand style or Klink & Dink. I normally tie the dry fly to the top dropper with the wet fly on the point or fish washing line style with the wet fly on the wall dropper (and in the film of the water). I have stopped tying a dropper to the dry fly as I think (but can't prove) that it impedes the take and the hookingof the fish.The smoke fly is a fly I have had some success with since you posted on it a while back.ThanksAlistair

A well known technique in salt water-- tie on a float to disturb the surface followed by a 3 ft leader and lure, tied to the float. Fish notice the surface disturbance then slam the lure that follows. Very likely the same principle with floater/sinking flies. Sometimes it increases number of strikes, by an order of magnitude.

Known as "Hopper and Dropper" out West, this technique is deadly on small streams as Alan has discovered. Also, used to fish a Picket Pin or Montreal Whore behind a Wooley Bugger for landlocks in Maine.

Alan, I use a deer hair beetle and a foam . The deer hair beetle is based off a famous fly tier from pa. By the name of Chauncey Lively. The foam beetle I use has a body of black ice dub instead of peacock like most are done. You can research Pegs fly on utube. The fly is actually used in a lot of places where there is spring creeks. I use it in sz. 18 and 20. I am "not" using it in sz. 26. Lol.

About Me

I have been fishing for more years that I want to say.
Fly fishing since the seventies.
I take the simple approach to fly fishing. Fly fishing need not be complicated.
Take the time to slow down on the water and look to the grand beauty out there in its most simple form.